First Thoughts

On paper, this looks like one heck of a new Bluetooth radio. It works with any modern Dewalt Li-ion battery packs, and it sports numerous speakers.

I found one product page describing it as an “industry leader” for its color screen and mobile app.

Realistically, does this need its own app? Or if they mean the Tool Connect app, what kind of features will it offer? Do we need a color screen on something like this? Just thinking aloud.

Why does this cost more than the ToughSystem Music?

The ToughSystem Music puts out fantastic sound – for a jobsite radio – and it looks like Dewalt designed the new Tstak Bluetooth radio charger to do the same, but in a smaller package that’s also compatible with FlexVolt battery packs.

Dewalt says that it can work with ALL of their 12V Max, 20V Max, and 60V Max battery packs, and so it should be compatible with the latest larger cell batteries as well.

I’m optimistic about its quality, but have also been thinking a lot about speakers lately, and am a little turned off by the $220 price that Acme has it listed at. Even if that’s a little inflated and it comes down to the price of the ToughSystem music, currently $180, that’s a lot for a jobsite radio.

21 Comments

I have the ToughSystem and love it for what it is. It’s a bit heavy, but that’s offset by the ability to attach it to my TS Carrier or one of the DS450s. This new radio seems nice, but not nice enough for me to start investing in TStak. Everytime I look at that system in stores I don’t see the benefit of adding it to my ToughSystem and Ridgid collection.

Tstak is phenomenal for what you get at the price point. The boxes are smaller, same size as systainers, and much easier to transport and stack in tight places. They are perfect for interior work in new homes, renovation work, and city work in tall buildings.

They may not be water tight but they definitely have their place. I love mine.

Exactly right. Our work was mostly suburban and semi-rural – ranging from new construction to remodeling. But then once in a while we’d get an installation contract for a new hi-rise – or remodeling of an older building.
We might haul in some Knaack boxes and tie them down in a basement – but then want smaller more modular toolboxes to move up and down. On an older 20 to 40 story building – going up and down on a passenger elevator – hauling big toolboxes would only get you complaints – not your next job.

Well that where the confusion comes from. At least make them compatible with each other. Not every single box I need has to be completely waterproof so some storage is better in a Tstak while others I want absolute protection and want ToughSystem. So its a bit strange they can’t even work together.

TSTAK does have larger boxes, the XL or Deep Box. Plus, they have optional foam inserts for TSTAK I and II boxes for doing customized packing. It doesn’t take much imagination to combine a couple of the foam inserts at the top and bottom of the XL or Deep Boxes to fit larger tools more securely.

The reality is, the form factors of the two systems are far too different to make them compatible. If you were to put a TSTAK lock somewhere on the top or bottom of a ToughSystem box, you’d be unable to lift them, because the balance would be totally off. Plus, ToughSystem boxes favour a carrier handle on the front edge, where TSTAK boxes favour them on the top face. By the time you get around to connectors, and adapters, and the differences in width, they’d just be a mess of awkward handles, clips, and total compromises to their integrity as a whole.

The two systems have totally different philosophies. ToughSystem is boxes-as-drawers, and TSTAK is Components to Make a Box System. They are both flexible to your needs, you just have to be realistic about what you genuinely NEED, versus what you WANT. Drawers to pull out and carry? Or a Toolbox that has everything you need for a thing inside?

I’m KINDA glad TSTAK is getting a little more love from the marketing and development teams, but the reality is, there are a lot of people like yourself, John, who just don’t quite wrap their heads around what the two systems are for. ToughSystem is supposed to be a load-and-go system based loosely on the older DeWALT Hard Cases that their tools came in. TSTAK, on the other hand, is the opposite of Grab-and-Go, it’s Customize-What-You-Need instead.

In Europe, and increasingly in North America, Tradesmen and other Contractors and DIYers became a larger market than before. Their needs are closer to bringing the entirety of their options wherever they go, rather than picking and choosing in a moment’s notice. TSTAK, Festool’s Systainer boxes, and the others of their kind, are meant to bring an entire set of options with you in one box that you put together specifically for the job or tools in question. The ToughSystem boxes are more for just bringing the tools and the equipment, accessories, attachments, and such in separate containers, secured in a rack system like you’re carrying a chest of drawers wherever you go.

The two systems would really hurt eachother if they tried to lock together in any way. AT BEST I would say that you would need a hybrid cart system to handle them, and even then it would severely limit what you could do with the two systems. They really are not close enough in size, design, or purpose, in order to link up. The ToughSystem is big for contract and rugged use, the TSTAK is light weight, and simply fits in compact spaces better. If you make the ToughSystem smaller, you’d lose impact resistance. If you made TSTAK bigger, you’d lose portability. Frustrating though it may be, they truly are better left separate lines.

I like to look on the side of of potential and offering as much options as possible to products and customers. I don’t think there is too much stretch to the imagination to make docking crate the size of a ToughSystem that interlocks with that system using smaller TSTAK components for example. This gives the options of both worlds, not just simply locking a customer to one decision or the other.

Speaking of dummkopfs (re. audio technology that is) I had a neighbor who had an AMC Matador with an 8 track tape player. I recall that when he sold it – he got next to nothing for it – and complained that he was not thinking when he bought it. AMC did seem to make some pretty (pretty ugly that is) cars. AMC apparently one of the dummkopfs of the US auto industry, acquired by Chrysler, finally went out of business in 1987 – so no more Matadors, Gremlins, Hornets, Pacers or Ramblers. But its Jeeps (formerly made by Willys before they were acquired by Kaiser – and subsequently merged into AMC) remain.

I had a Buick Electra wagon that fit into the category of bad buys too – not so ugly but what a costly lemon.

It doesn’t work with their 40V system or the 18V and 12V they still sell in stores?! Shame! You should support all you battery platforms you sell Dewalt. I need to see 8V, 12V, 12V max, 14.4V, 18V, 20V max, 40V and 60V…if you can still buy these new at HD or Lowe’s they should be supported in something claiming it works with ALL your platforms.

This is a great radio, I have it here in the uk. sound quality is awesome, imho it’s better than the toughsystem radio. Couple of points, no AM it’s DAB and FM plus Bluetooth to phone. Second point, don’t leave battery in when not using for a few days as it will drain and maybe kill battery

The only benefit I can see is that the new one is smaller. If you don’t have ToughSystem or Tsak storage, or wouldn’t use the radio in a “stack,” it probably won’t be worth the expense, unless you really want the new smaller model.